The invention stems from the swimsuit industry where a long time trend is to use a cover up when not in the water. A more recent trend of wearing a swim shirt to protect the wearer from the sun, other natural elements, such as wind and/or rain, and/or from skin abrasions from rubbing on surf boards, and the like, also contributed to the invention. An additional recent trend of wearing a swim shirt to express one's creative and fashion sense, and to control the amount and manner of exposure of the body to the public's view, also contributed to the invention.
Often, a long time is spent searching for just the right bathing suit with the best fit and a stylish look, only to lose these attributes when covering the suit with a regular cover up or swim shirt. Also, even in the water many great looking swim suits are at a disadvantage when they are strapless or even when they have straps and exposure of the breasts is a concern, especially when engaging in water sports. In addition, exposure of skin to the sun and other natural elements is a concern due to the limited covering abilities of most conventional swimsuits in the marketplace.
The present invention seeks to remedy these problems by maintaining a bathing suit's stylish look while protecting the wearer from the sun, other natural elements, such as wind and/or rain, and/or from skin abrasions, and/or skin abrasions and other injuries from contact with surf boards, water jackets, and the like, and the surf and its surroundings, as well as accidental loss of coverage. Additionally, the present invention seeks to provide the user with an opportunity to expose specific portions of the user's body to the public's view, and to express the user's creative and fashion sense beyond that of merely choosing a bathing suit for use. All of these impairments and other impairments are addressed by various embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the present invention is a cost-effective approach to significantly improving on the current state of the art in the field of this invention.